Adolescent Diaries of Karen Horney - Literature review Example

Karen Horney Part I: Introduction Karen Horney was born Karen Danielsen on September 16, 1885 in Hamburg, Germany to parents of Dutch and Norwegian descent. Berndt Wackels Danielsen, her father, was a captain on a ship while the mother, Clotilde Danielsen, was more or less an urbane woman with a conservative upbringing. She had a brother named Berndt and also had four older half-siblings from her father’s earlier marriage. Her father was a religious-minded authoritarian person with discipline uppermost on his mind. On the other hand her mother was inclined to believe in freedom for the children. Horney’s early childhood was marked by divergent behavioral tendencies. For instance she had an unusual fancy for her elder brother. This was most probably a psychological response to arising from wrong perceptions of her father as a ‘dictator’. Her intellectual capabilities were just developing into more varied and complex perceptions at this time. Her early childhood was also marked by rebellion against her father’s autocratic pontifications. She openly rebelled against his despotic commands and sought to self-assert on everything that she felt was important. In addition to this marked tendency to oppose her father because she felt that he didn’t love her enough, deep down this small girl there was evolving a perceptive disbelief in the existing dispensation of affairs. She alleged that her father loved her brother much more than he did her. She was not only ambitious but also constantly focused on intellectual pursuits. At the age of nine she felt that her image suffered from some inadequacies. She was even depressed by the feeling that she wasn’t beautiful, though by any standards she was pretty enough. With the subsequent rejection by her brother of her unusual behavior towards him, there developed a period of collapse into dejection and depression. On and off relapse into bouts of depression could be noticed during this period. She was more of a narcissist or an introvert that showed an unusual interest in the self image (Quinn, 1989). Subsequent to her parents’ divorce in 1904, her mother moved into a separate place with the kids. Karen was one of the first few girls to be admitted to a German University for medicine. Finally she graduated from the University of Berlin in 1913. It was during this period that she met her future husband, Oskar Horney. She married him in 1909 and in 1910 she had her first baby girl, Brigitte. Two other girls followed and Karen was a happy mother. Initially she approved her husband’s strictness towards the girls though as the time went on she tolerated it mush less. Her mother died in 1911and the incident affected Karen emotionally so much though she continued to look forward with focused attention on higher studies. It was during this period that Karen was attracted to pursue her interest in psychoanalysis. Freudian theoretical approaches were more or less proving to be true in her life at least in the way her husband preferred to bring up the girls. It was the same authoritarian approach of her father. Her career began with an appointment at the Institute of Psychoanalysis in Berlin where she taught psychoanalysis. Her life was plagued by one misfortune after the other during this period. Oskar lost his business assets and her brother died of an infection. In 1930 she immigrated to the US with her children and settled down in Brooklyn where she developed her knowledge in neurosis and personality. Her book “The Neurotic Personality of our Time” published in 1937, first marked the deviation from Freudian tradition in psychoanalysis though her discontent came to surface only when she tendered her resignation at the American Institute of Psychoanalysis and joined the New York Medical College. She continued to teach there till her death in 1952. Part II: Karen’s Theoretical Approach to Neurosis Karen’s divergence from Freudian tradition led her to redefine the very characteristics of neurosis. She argued that neurotic personality was a continuous development and didn’t subscribe to the Freudian theory of psychoanalysis at least in respect of the explanation given to the development process of the neurotic personality. Her introduction of the continuum in neurotic personality development coincided with a more accurate redefinition of psychoanalysis and its related concepts. According to her the determinants or drivers of the present human behavior aren’t those haphazard causative factors that crop up suddenly. She traced current human behavior to the past incidents and experiences of the individual. In fact according to her the three time periods – present, past and future – are interconnects. The personality of the individual goes through this time continuum. This deviation from the hitherto accepted norms of psychoanalysis marked also the beginning of a new era in the subject. According to Horney’s psychoanalytical approach to understanding the nature of a current relationship between to individuals – a patent and a child - there must be a thorough analysis of their closer or not-so-closer bond in the past. In other words the past experiences of individuals have such a continuous impact on the later developments. This was something new to the Freudian tradition of psychoanalysis. For instance she was deliberately accusing her father of bias and prejudice against her while he favored her brother. However, her father really loved her. She thought that this antipathy towards her father was influenced by her desire to be closer to her mother. Horney assumed that there are ten needs that a neurotic person would have as the neurotic personality develops through time. For example the first need is related to affection and approval. In other words this neurotic need is based on the individual’s constant look out for emotional support. The second need is related to love and partnership. The neurotic person would desire a partner for love because he or she cannot bear up the emotional disturbances alone. Thirdly the neurotic need to be confined physically to limited space, thus avoiding broader contact with the rest of the community is inevitable. This is perhaps because of the fact that inconspicuous existence helps to avoid unpleasant experiences and contacts. Fourthly neurotic individuals look for control over others because when dominance is denied the neurotic person happens to believe in the control over as many outsiders as possible so that a degree of satisfaction in one’s strength becomes inevitable. Though this need is characterized by desperate behavior, it is essential for the neurotic person to assert himself over those who are weak. Fifthly there is the neurotic need to manipulate the environment. According to Horney the neurotic individual would constantly seek to have a much better relationship with others but he would always desire an upper hand. Sixthly the neurotic need for recognition by the society and the attendant prestige is almost compulsive among neurotic individuals. For example while ordinary individuals would be concerned about their looks and appearances only to a certain extent, neurotic persons would always try to get the attention of others. Next the neurotic person would like to be admired, on the basis that he or she is capable of bringing about real changes to otherwise ordinary situations. For example the genius self perception of neurotic persons is the inevitable consequence of a constant feeling to be noticed. Eighthly the neurotic person desires to achieve big things. The obsession with grandeur is the ultimate result (Horney, 1980). Next such people tend to rely on themselves too much. It sometimes goes to the extent of a self belief that he or she does not want others. Finally according to Horney a neurotic person would develop a tendency to be perfect. Perfection is almost an obsession among neurotic people. Sometimes it borders on an unassailable belief that he or she is capable of doing big things. Based on these ten neurotic needs Horney developed her psychoanalytical approach on the following lines. Such a neurotic person would need to develop some strategies to protect themselves against probable onslaughts by the society. Such onslaughts or attacks can be real or imagined. As a result the following three strategies have been suggested by Horney to be the most readily available to the neurotic individual (Solomon, 2005). Compliance – it includes those needs one, two, and three. Aggression – it includes those needs four through eight. Withdrawal – it includes those needs nine, ten, and three. According to Horney compliance enables the neurotic person to have a closer relationship with the rest of the society because compliance is inevitable. Theoretically the first three needs would fulfill the basic requirements of this strategy of protection. The neurotic person would comply with these needs because they are essential for his or her survival. The next strategy is aggression. Aggression helps the neurotic individual to identify his response to social challenges. This strategy encompasses the forth need through to the eighth. As such according to Horney there is a primordial tendency in the neurotic person to control his immediate environment by becoming more aggressive towards others (Horney 1991). Finally according to Horney the third strategy, withdrawal, is an instinctive response to the challenges of the intolerable and hostile people. For example the third, ninth and the tenth neurotic needs come under this strategy. When a neurotic person relies on these three needs, he does so with intention of controlling others and showing perfection. However with the third need included there is a compromise. Horney’s theoretical and conceptual disagreements did not end here. In fact she applied her own thoughts to the Freudian interpretation of sexuality on the traditional lines of thinking. She went on to assert that Freudian tradition of psychoanalysis was heavily dependent on segmentation of behavior and compartmentalization of psychological phenomena. PART III: Future possibilities Horney’s theoretical and conceptual paradigms have revolutionized the theory of psychoanalysis. For instance the outcomes related to her findings on neurosis and the associated psychoanalytical interpretation show that her arguments have been based on the fundamental principle of continuum in the development of personality. In other words Horney strongly believed that both perceptive experience and didactic experience permitted the individual to develop a cohesive orderly response to the society and its demands. Thus early relationships and their nature affected the subsequent response of the individual, as much as they affected the individuals’ attitudinal perspectives. Horney did not subscribe to the Freudian tradition, especially concerning psychoanalytic interpretation of the concept of continuous impact. Freudian cognitive behavioral theories were necessarily confined to understanding the current nature of a certain behavioral tendency rather than focusing on the past impact on the current behavior. As such Freudian tradition has placed much less or no emphasis on the memory continuum. This inadequacy of Freudian psychoanalysis and related theories is far reaching in its effect. For example the current debate on the psychoanalytical interpretations of neurotic behavior is much more reliant on neo-Freudian tradition led by Alfred Adler, Erik Erikson and Karen Horney. The latter-day theoretical developments on psychoanalysis show that neo-Freudian interpretations on neurosis and other psychological disorders like depression and obsession are much more reliable than what Freudian theory held out. The book “The Vicissitudes of Affect” by Rendon on Horney’s theoretical postulates has made this amply clear (Rendon, 2008). Neo-Freudian theories on neurosis in particular and cognitive behavioral disorders in general have been centered on the need to emphasize past experiences. Though neo-Freudians are the followers of Sigmund Freud, they disagree with some Freudian principles. Thus Horney disagreed with the less or no emphasis on the past experiences of individuals in understanding the nature and the extent of neurotic disorders. Carl Jung occupies a very important place among neo-Freudians. As much as Jung demonstrated the irrelevance of the sexual nature of the human libido, and the relevance of archetypes, Horney typically demonstrated the lack of causative links between the existence of neurotic behavioral tendencies and the current causes. In fact the Freudian psychoanalytic principles placed exclusive emphasis on the current relations of the individual thus denying the fact that past experiences played a pivotal role in deciding the outcomes. Also Horney disagreed with some Freudian sexuality views and thus came out with the most accepted theory on neurosis which pointed out different views about the theory. She was more determined to establish an independent analytical approach and thus her theory is basically about the practical life. This practicality goes deeper than what can be seen on the surface. For example the primordial human behavioral tendencies were totally ignored by Freudians. Her emphasis on the interpersonal control capabilities of the neurotic individual illustrates the fact that individuals tend to identify themselves with one or more of the related individuals. Her efforts to relate herself to her mother were at the expense of alienating her father who otherwise had no particular dislike towards his daughter. Her theoretical and conceptual framework of analysis indeed lacks some contingency demands for explicit clarity and flawless logic. For instance her theory though is the best for understanding the neurotic personality in the modern context, the analytical framework or model is lacking in some very important aspects like direct references. Psychoanalysts need some direct references for building up the argument. Her answer to this criticism is the development of three strategies that are available to the neurotic individual as self-defense mechanisms. These primordial strategies - compliance, aggression and withdrawal - are just adopted by any individual in defense of his own beliefs and tendencies. Social intercourse requires such strategies. Aristotle knew about it a long time ago. His gregarious individual had the same instinct though typically such a gregarious animal would not think of any other alternative to being in social company. Despite this analytical framework related constraint, Horney’s theoretical and conceptual approach has invariably led to the current neo-Freudian revolution in thinking on lines of experience-associated paradigms of individual behaviors and personality related disorders. The obsequious compliance, bestial aggression and ascetic detachment are all well summed up in her more advanced book “Neurosis and Human Growth: The Struggle Towards Self-Realization” (Horney, 1950). In this book she further refined the earlier three solutions or strategies. The first solution is referred to as “expansive”. Narcissism is essentially a personality disorder. Yet Horney knew through experience that narcissistic behavior could be adopted as a good form of self protection. According to her later refined theories combined with arrogance, perfectionism and vindictiveness, narcissism could produce positive outcomes for neurotic individuals. This emphasis on hitherto neglected aspects of individual behavior opened up new vistas for exploration in psychoanalysis. For instance narcissism was just a concept in her earlier works, especially in “New Ways in Psychoanalysis” written in 1939. In the second book mentioned above she also focuses on the other two neurotic solutions or strategies though such focus has very little analytical depth. In the first instance self-effacement her first term for compliance was necessitated by a desire to submit to others. She hypothesized that symbiotic relations between and among individuals were determined by this overwhelming desire to submit or self-efface. The most controversial issue related to this self-imposed self-effacement is that men don’t adopt strategic responses in the face of problems as a spontaneous reaction. Horney doesn’t deny this fact either. Strategy requires some a priori and a posteriori deliberations before being put into operation. Thus symbiotic behavioral constructs that she has built up, help to identify the significance of elemental archetypal behaviors of individuals whose neurotic conditions separate them from the ordinary. However in her second book mentioned above she stretches the term self-effacement to include even those autochthonous and heterochthonous causative factors as sadomasochism and morbidity in dependency. While she has studiously avoided any reference to co-morbidity as an autochthonous factor in determining neurosis-related outcomes, there is an implicit reference to co-dependency or mutually desirable relations among neurotic individuals. The heterochthonous causative elements or drivers of energetic response by neurotic persons are not only conveniently avoided but also received no mention in the more emphatic assertions on libidinous drives. This is perhaps due to the fact that Horney viewed sexuality and sexual drives as archetypes in conformance with Jung’s theorem. It’s not surprising that she criticized Freud for his idea related to “penis envy”. Her highly articulated discourse on the subject critically focused on the women’s supposed envy of men’s reproductive organ (Berger, 1993). She believed that Freud had just been influenced by some traditional beliefs. Next Horney theorized that self is the very essence of one’s existence and therefore is self-centered in articulation of the very environment in which one lives. She made an attempt to differentiate between the real self and the actual self. However, these purely theoretical perceptions of an abstract concept have much less in supporting or furthering the psychoanalytical advances that her other works have produced. Yet again she emphasized on the theory that the neurotic person has two selves – the idealized self and the despised self. Thus the neurotic person is torn between two worlds. The inescapable truth is that the neurotic person is least aware of the condition of neurosis and therefore doesn’t find himself torn between two worlds but states of the mind. One state tells him to be complacent while the other makes him regret. These discoveries made by Horney helped other researchers to identify the existence of many more possibilities in the neurotic universe. Finally on feminine psychiatry though Horney was much less lucid her pioneering efforts produced some good responses from the subsequent writers. Even today her writings on the subject continue to produce ripples in the world. In an essay titled “The Problem of Feminine Masochism” she attempted to paint women as a species of beings that perpetually try to please men by being subservient to them at every level of the society. According to her women are prepared to gratify and satiate men. These thoughts haven’t been supported by many though. Her immense contribution to the present day and future psychiatry cannot be denied. REFERENCES 1. Berger, M. (1993). Women Beyond Freud: New Concepts Of Feminine Psychology. New York: Routledge. 2. Horney, K. (1980). Adolescent Diaries of Karen Horney. New York: Basic Books. 3. Horney, K. (1991). Neurosis and Human Growth: The Struggle Towards Self-Realization. New York: W.W. Norton & Co. 4. Rendon, M. (2008). The vicissitudes of affect in Horneys theory. International Forum of Psychoanalysis. 17 (3), 158-168(11). 5. Quinn, S. (1989). A Mind of Her Own: The Life of Karen Horney (Radcliffe Biography Series). New York: Perseus Books. 6. Solomon, I. (2005). Karen Horney and Character Disorder: A Guide for the Modern Practitioner. New York: Springer Publishing Company. Read More